The Community Health Status Indicators (CHSI) Project was initially launched in 2000
and archived in 2004 when the data became outdated. In 2006, the project was re-launched by a new partnership
that included the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (including NCHS and ATSDR), the National Institutes
of Health/National Library of Medicine, the Health Resources Services Administration, the Public Health Foundation,
the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), National Association of County and City Health
Officials (NACCHO), National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH), and Johns Hopkins University School of
Public Health.
The re-launch of CHSI includes 3,141 county health status profiles representing each county in
the United States excluding territories. CHSI now includes updated data, select mapping capabilities of health
indicators, and a website where the public can access and download the data and information. While some relatively
minor modifications have been made to the reports, no new indicators were added.
Each CHSI report includes data on access and utilization of healthcare services, birth and death measures,
Healthy People 2010 targets and U.S. birth and death rates, vulnerable populations, risk-factors for premature
deaths, communicable diseases and environmental health. In addition, the presentation of the data allows for
comparisons of a county to peer counties, U.S. rates, and Healthy People 2010 targets.
The goal of CHSI is to give local public health agencies another tool for improving their
community’s health by identifying resources and setting priorities.
CHSI is the SPARK PLUG for your local health improvement ENGINE!